Method of making electric accumulators



Sept. 23, 1952 H. G. ANDRE METHOD OF MAKING ELECTRIC ACCUMULATORS Filed April 26, 1950 INVENTOR.'

m N s E m m G m N E H new AGENT Patented Sept. 23, 1952 ail/remover.. MAKINGEEECTMG s -.l Application Aprilizs,

-fflhi'sfinventi'on relates toi electro-chemicaligenerators or accumulators, and more particularlytto .fisuclilacoumulators oflcylindri'cal form. p .In afwide -iumber of` electrical devices, itis-desirable ta use if varr:electr-ic'battery fof @cylindrical iform. This, is the' rcase';lv amor-1g various fother:` devices,- with-such appliances as hearing laids;flashlights,feto. The battery cells used heretofore for suchj-purposes 4"were very'quickly exhausted, sometimes, requiring :f1 replacement after@ as A little :jas one days; usefult 'fperformance Y.

-Itfis an 'objectjofjthisrinverition-to yprovide a I' reversible electroec'hemic'al: .energyy generator 4or accumulatoreof. cylindrical` form capable fof re- Vc'um'ulator,l'i'avinga very long useful life, i. e.y 1 i; capable offsustainingsa large numberofoperating l (discharging and chargingi cycles.

1t is also |an objecttoprovide a cylindrical ac- 'y cumulator which -i's capable, icalledyupon to do vso, to yield a1 Veryhigh'current, and capable of f so doingwithout dcterioration-l i Aniaccumulator-.according to` my present invention is formed by placing a positive electrode, comprising an. active material more electropositive than Zinc, `inside amigid, cylindrical; casing 'substantially concentrically with and spaced from the wall thereof, forming a tubular zinc liner with a longitudinal slit extendingover the entire length l oftthe liner,placinglthefliner inside thecasing adjacent its Wall, insertinga tubular. separator.

of a material swellable inlan alkaline electrolyte between theV liner and the'positive electrode, and introducing sucient alkaline eleotrolyte'nto :the easing to oausefthe separator to swell and to ap- 'ply vfthe liner under @pressure VL:-"-`wall. -Preferably, `the`V `separator is rst intro- -1 ducd'into theecasing to Adivide 'its interior into an "l *fi-nner; cylindrical -and an; fou-t er, annularvcoinepartmentgwhereuponthe vactive electropositive material is placed in comminuted form inside th 20 jtlQd&, l Affurtlier'obj ect `ris: to pro-vide v a cylindricalacagainst the'r casing 50 EHenrifGaAndri;Montmorency.IFrance; assgnor l ,.fto- Yardnen International. Corna a Icornettitllll ffainnercomrartment.andlsfcompactedftliemthe Zinc-liner beineftliereafter.nertedgntet t' 'ter compartment. A f

'-Iflieinvention',ishparticularly applicablet'o the 5 construction off an accumulator s.=in..which'sone electrode isemade of 'silveror y nickela.

; lo tionsr and reductions with anifalkali'ne .electrolyte adapted 4torettu'r1 :substantially a contanttelpositionj throughout the accumulatorsoperat r1. One preferred 21.111,19dirmelltof,my. ihren n.

v now be describedby.way-oi? V`exai'nple, witl-l.; ier'- i 15 ence/to the gaccompanyihgdra'w-inginwliigh L Fig. 1V isa, viewin axial section; y

. 'The emhodimentiof alcvlindrtal.-@simulator illustrated ,comprisesV a. lcylindrical..-rde ept *clef or 1 tanliflll madefof alsuitable 'insulating ma erial suoli as polystyrol or-tlfie ike. l fIh A' zpc'omprses a-cylindrtalsidwelll -f,-fbaSe-,..Wit1;1 @shoulder l2-.1atliacent v1':wallslil'.;and.a-,bo-ttonrlappendageerp e 10111, I4 .J1-,axially :formed with a vS.Illall-.ditinfleter bQrQf |5- Against thghottomwall; t3. applie eofaberfglmad fbnnitn.

material e 'traY Q18: smaller.. imxterna apartaoffthe side ,all;

efths'feap. thusidelhed 35.Y betweerrthecua: the thickenedrpeltoe I9 Orth-aside welll-there is.. ,ghtly inserted @cylindriqcal tube; 20;.madefof regenerated;-ellllloseaisand ,y comprisingsfor. exarrlplev asheet of tellqnhane 01 l Athe :like rolledv into af'cylindricalshape. 40 :This tube'of cellophanelwhich extendsloverjthe :major part 'of nthe '.yerticalllength: of. the tank; I l say overv .about three fourths v4of said .length as shown, denes a cylindricallinnerchamber.:2| in A 1 whichaibody'of. divided.materialaadaptedtoform 45 aan?A electrode,y -such `v as Y silver powder, isfstightly Stampedl said .powder being Y inserted .-throgh'zathe .widez. open unobstructedmouth f aperturesofthe e .tank- Uren/the opposite endzthereofirom Athe-epro- .Lfjectiorr'lll?` Forfthi's'fllling Istepthetank; Il is so Aarranged that the projection I4 isdirected .downwards-.as shownin Fig. 1. 'i I 1 -In the annularespace..defined.betweeILtheiside 4: '..wall H 1 of the. tankiand the'.regenerated-cellulose l. tubes 521i, a-.cylindricalmegativeelectrodes is'.vin- 515.; :sert'ecL .formed forv .instan-cef,l ashown,l .by @Zinc foil linfmerbr 22, one end being substantially uSh with the p' Iid'Gf the tube 2B.

The amount of powder inserted into the chant- :ber 2l is such that, taking into consideration the tamping of thE pQWder, said powder will not fill the chamber 2i to capacity: In thefee space thus provided an absorbent'plug 22 is inserted,

comprising for example a band or strip of blotting y paper` formed into a roll, said plug being inserted through the mouth of the tube 20 in such a way as to fit under some slight pressure into the chamber.

Over this tube and the liner 22 there'is then placed a disc 23 made of'presspahn or similar material substantially equal in diameter to the inner diameter of the tank ll,.said disc being thus seated against the circumferential edge of the tube 20 and against the circumferential edge of the liner 22.

Between said disc and the tank there is passed "a'small-gauge `conductor wire-24 bonded to the which accordingly is larger in externalV diameter VYthan the' body 21.r` The annular head 3l is provided with a thicker portion 32 in the form of a luneforined with a duct or bore 33 through which is threaded the conductor wire 24, said Wire being, throughout its portionfnot in contact with the liner 22,l insulated as with a. coat of varnish.

Aninner cap 34 cooperates with the top 30 and an outer; cap 35 overlies the inner cap 34 to complete the closure of the tank. The outer cap 35 '-i orcove'ris removable, while the inner cap 34 is yQpermane'ntly attached. To the inner cap 34 the conductor 24 is' soldered or welded.Y Both caps are' electrically conductive.

' Before'placing the outer cap, the electrolyte first introduced into the tank through the duct 36 formed in the plug 2B and the aperture 34 in the inner-cap. The electrolyte is an alkaline solution which may, depending on the formation of tl'ie'p'artic'ularaccumulator, comprise either an aqueous'solution'of potassium hydroxide or an adueoussolution f potassium zincate. After the electrolyte has been introduced, the hole 36 is l covered with the absorbent plug 31 made of blotj ting paper or thev like, inserted in the recess 38 formed 'in the plug 26, which may be Vformed withaI central aperture. Under the action of the electrolyte, the cellulose constituting the tube 20 swells and thus becomes applied under pressure b'oth against the silver powder inside the inner chamber 2l and against the roll of zinc foil consttutingV the liner 22 which is thus pressed against the wall'll of casing IB. r: Into the silver powder there is inserted a conductive silver wire 39 extending substantially f V"axially of the chamber 2l, said wire extending f 'through the duct l5' in the boss I4 and being se- 'cured to said boss with a spot of tin solder 4D. An cyelet 4l .or the like preferably surrounds the boss I4.

In an initial formative phase, the element con- 1structed as just described is subjected to a succes- Afsion of charging and discharging steps effective /to convert the solid substance constituting the negative electrode into a finely divided material comprlsingspongy zinc hydroxide and/or spongy Zinc.

The tight seal provided at the lower end of the tube 2U by the clamping action of the resilient cup i6 and the tank wall I9 prevents any migration of the divided material contained inside the tube 20 out of the chamber 2 l;

The seal at the top mouth opening of said chamber, while preventing migration of the active material out of thew chamber, allows evolution of the gasesv generated during the charging steps.

Inuone specific construction which has yielded good results in practice, the" original zinc foil was formed into a cylinder 2.9 cm. in length and 1.2i om. in diameter; the inner chamber' contained gramsof silver powder. The tube 20 is produced by, forming a cellophane sheet element 0.025 mur.-

thick into a roll having from 6 to 8` turns. Sucli a cell possesses a power capacity of 0.5 amp/hn. It performed up to a hundred operating cycles; Without any reduction in vits useful characteris tics. i

If necessary, at the end of a certain time of? use, the outer cap 35 may be removed and a' few drops of make-up water may be added into thei cell through the hole 34' in the inner cap 34 through the duct. 3B.

1. The method of making electrode containing an active material more electropositive than zinc inside a rigid, cylindrical casing substantially concentrically with and spaced from the wall of said casing, forming a tubular zinc liner with a longitudinal slit extending over the entire length'of the liner, placing said liner inside the casing adjacent said wall, inserting a tubular separator of a material swellable in an alkaline electrolyte'b'etween the liner and said positive electrode,v and introducing suicient alkaline electrolyte into the casing to cause said separator to swell and to apply said liner under pressure against said wall.

2. The method ofmaking an electric battery which comprises the steps of introducing into a rigid cylindrical casing a tubular separator, of 'a material swellablein an alkaline electrolyte, in substantially concentric, spaced relation to the wall of said casing, thereby dividing the interior of said casing into an inner, cylindrical and an outer, annular compartment, placing vcomminuted electrode material more electropositive than zinc inside said inner compartment, compacting said comminuted material, forming a tubular zinc liner with a longitudinal slit extending over the entire length of the liner, placing said liner inside said outer compartment, and introducing sufficient alkaline electrolyte into the casing to cause said separator to swell and to apply said liner under pressure against said wall.

HENRI G. ANDR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the l an electric battery which comprises the steps of vplacing a 'positive 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING AN ELECTRIC BATTERY WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PLACING A POSITIVE ELECTRODE CONTAINING AN ACTIVE MATERIAL MORE ELECTROPOSITIVE THAN ZINC INSIDE A RIGID, CYLINDRICAL CASING SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRICALLY WITH AND SPACED FROM THE WALL OF SAID CASING, FORMING A TUBULAR ZINC LINER WITH A LONGITUDINAL SLIT EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE LINER, PLACING SAID LINER INSIDE THE CASING ADJACENT SAID WALL, INSERTING A TUBULAR SEPARATOR OF A MATERIAL SWELLABLE IN AN ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE BETWEEN THE LINER AND SAID POSITIVE ELECTRODE, AND INTRODUCING SUFFICIENT ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE INTO THE CASING TO CAUSE SAID SEPARATOR TO SWELL AND TO APPLY SAID LINER UNDER PRESSURE AGAINST SAID WALL. 